What's so great about James Potter?
by aurora borealis1
Summary: Another L/J fic of mine. Not much hate, more like indifference. It's in their fifth year, and Lily's a transfer student from USA. (Yes, I know she's English, but this is my story!) Anyway, rated PG because of some swearing and maybe other stuff later.
1. Moving?

Disclaimer: Yeah, right ****

Disclaimer: Yeah, right. As if you didn't know that I don't own anything from before.

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A/N: This is the first L/J story I've started on writing. (Yes, yes, I know, bad grammar.) Then I wrote 'You make me sick' instead, but now I've thought if continuing on this story. And sorry, 'You make me sick' fans, this **_is not the sequel of 'You make me sick'_**. Just so you know it. Sorry folks, I've already said that I don't have any ideas for a sequel to that story. But hey, you can read this one and maybe you like it? I don't know, but... For the fun of it, I haven't taken away the original Author's Note. If you want to read it, do so. It's under here *points down*. And don't flame me because of some changes from what information we have about Lily. Hey, this is fanfiction, right? Fanfiction = you can change the original story to your liking. When it comes to Lily/James fics, it seems like I have a tendency to do just that. So don't flame: it just shows how dumb you are and how low IQ you have. Don't flame because I said that either.

Original A/N: After reading quite a few Lily/James fics, I've made up my mind and am writing one myself. I have to confess that my first thought when I saw a L/J fic at the "Just In" was: 'Why write/read a fic about Harry's parents? They're _dead_.' But now I'm hooked. Yep. Bitten by the They-are-dead-but-hey!-we-don't-care-they're-so-cute virus. One other thing is that you have a lot more freedom with Lily and James-fics. I'm sure you understand what I mean. Have you read all this? My, my, you're either very nice or very weird. Oh, and while I remember: I'm sure Lily's not originally from the US and that Petunia is her real sister(not just step sister), but it just fitted in. Sorry. And I haven't got Peter Pettigrew in this fic because I hate him so much that if I had to write about him, I would probably puke. Now: Theeee...STORY!!!

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What's so great about James Potter?

Chapter one: Moving?

"Lily, I have to tell you something," Hannah said at breakfast. Lily noticed that she looked rather nervous.

"Wha'?" Lily asked with a mouth full of corn flakes.

Her mother took a deep breath. "Frank has asked me to marry him and I said yes." Lily just stared at her. Frank had been Hannah's boyfriend for two years – Lily's father died in a car crash the year Lily started at the wizarding school in the US. Frank and Hannah worked in the same travel bureau, although in different countries. They had met when Frank had been on a business errand for the bureau, and had sticked together after that. Only a few weeks ago (at the beginning of the summer holidays) Lily and her mother had visited Frank and his daughter, Petunia, in England. Lily didn't like Petunia much – she seemed such a spoiled brat.

Lily suddenly realized that Hannah waited for a response. "Um...that's...great?" she said hesitantly. Hannah sighed, but Lily continued quickly: "He's really nice. It's just that..." she couldn't think of a way to say that she and Petunia didn't _like_ each other (to say the least.) "It's just that...mum, he's a _muggle._"

"But dear,_ I'm_ a muggle too."

"Yeah, but...he doesn't know about the wizard world."

"Oh, that's no problem," Hannah smiled. "I've told him."

"Oh," Lily said and slumped down. "Do we have to move to England?"

"Of course, Lily. I've already asked for transfer to the English office."

"But...what about my school? All my friends?" Lily looked at her mother.

"You'll make _new_ friends, dear," Hannah said. "And you have to transfer to the English school, of course..."

"But-" Lily protested.

"Please, Lily." Hannah had a pained look in her eyes. "Please...for me?" She looked pleadingly at Lily. Lily smiled and hugged her.

"Okay, mum. If it makes you happy."

"It does, sweetheart, it does," her mother whispered and hugged her back.

***

"EEEEK!" Petunia's shriek pierced through the house. Lily, who had sun bathed in the garden, sighed and lay down her book, taking off her sunglasses. "LILY!!!!!" Petunia screamed again.

"What is it now?" Lily asked irritably, coming into the kitchen where Petunia stood pointing at something on the table. "It's just an owl, Petunia," Lily said calmly, taking the parcel the owl offered her.

"_Just an owl_ ?! Owls don't appear in your kitchen holding letters!"

"Well, they do that in the wizard world, Petunia."

"Don't say that word! I HATE it!" Petunia screamed.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Lily muttered.

"What's going on here, girls?" Frank asked. "I heard Petunia screaming.

"Who didn't," Lily muttered to herself. To Frank, she said: "Nothing, Frank. I just got my letter from my new school, that's all."

"...Okay, Lily. Just call on me if you want anything, right, girls?" Frank winked at them, and disappeared again. _He's okay,_ Lily thought. _If he just stopped thinking Petunia's the angel Gabriel...uh, Gabrielle... or something. Funny, though. He sounds more American than mum does._

With that thought in her mind, she went out in the garden again, ignoring Petunia shooting 

daggers at her with her stare.

A/N: Yeah, I know it was short. But I'm posting the second chapter now as well! Yes, yes, the Author's Note at the beginning was longer than the actual story, I know...


	2. So this is Hogwarts...

What's so great about James Potter ****

What's so great about James Potter?

Chapter two: So this is Hogwarts...

"Bye, Lily," her mother said and hugged her. "Take care. And remember to write!"

"Yes, mum."  
"Hannah! We can't be late for work!" Frank called from the car.

"Bye!" A last hug, and Lily was left alone at King's Cross Station in London.

__

Now, all I have to do is find platform 9 ¾... Lily looked over at platform nine and ten. No platform 9 ¾. Just a ticket fence... Suddenly she saw some girls walking to the fence and... straight through it? Lily grinned. In Virginia they had had about the same thing, but there it had been a wall full of posters at the airport...She checked that no one was watching, and went thorugh the fence.

A steeming purple train met her when she came through to the other side. People were scurrying by, entering the train or saying good bye to family and friends. Lily dragged her trunk to the train to what looked like an empty compartment, and tried to lift her trunk. Not even an inch. She tried again. Nope.

"Can I help you?" a man with messy black hair and nutty brown eyes asked her.

"Yes, thank you," Lily said relieved. The man lifted her trunk up and went inside the compartment with it, heaving it up on the shelf over the seats. Lily noted three other trunks there, but said nothing about it.

"Thank you."

"No problem." The man smiled at her and went out again to what Lily assumed was his son. She looked at them.

"And if I get _one more owl_ telling that you've been doing pranks again, I'll personally confiscate your broom," she heard the man tell his son. "Now get on the train, and try not to make too much mischief." He smiled and ruffled the boy's hair, which was already even messier than his father's.

"Right, dad," the boy grinned. "I'll try not to get caught...OOF!" He was run down by a hyperactive boy, also with black hair. "Hi, Sirius! What've you..."

Lily sat down in her seat and started reading a book.

***

"Can we sit here?" It was that boy with messy hair and glasses. Two other boys stood behind him – Lily recognised the one called Sirius.The other had sandy brown hair and kind, blue eyes. All the boys fought hard not to laugh. Lily wondered why.

"Sure," she said and turned towards her book again. The boys sat down at the opposite table. After a few minutes, another boy burst into the compartment. This one had greasy black hair which was slicked back. Black? No, the hair had started to turn pink...

The three boys at the other table burst out laughing. Sirius was pounding his fist on the table. The sandy haired boy rolled around the floor, clutching his stomach. The boy with the messy hair howled with laughter, even as he said:

"Good day, Snape. What brings you here?"

"YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY HAIR?!?!" the pink haired boy shouted, shaking with fury.

"Now, easy, Snape. We couldn't have done it. We've been in this compartment all the time, haven't we, er...?"

"Evans," Lily supplied. _They are so childish, _she thought.

"Right. Evans. Isn't it true we've been in this compartment on the hole trip?" the boy with the messy hair asked.

"Sure they have," Lily said with a perfectly straight face. She didn't actually like these guys, but she didn't _hate_ them...and that greasy pink haired guy absolutely rubbed her the wrong way.

"You see, Snape?"

Snape narrowed his eyes. "You won't get away with this, Potter." And then he turned on his heel and leaved the boys howling with laughter again.

After a while, the boy with sandy brown hair asked:

"What's your name? Besides Evans, I mean."

"Lily," Lily said.

"Mine's Remus. The maniac is Sirius, and he who never has touched a brush is James." Remus ducked under James who had jumped at him, and continued. "Are you new? I haven't seen you before."

"Transfer from the US," Lily said. "I'm in the fifth year."

"Cool! We're in the fifth year too."

"Oh." Lily hoped she didn't have to have so many classes with them, although Remus seemed rather nice. The other two, though...

"Don't be nervous about the Sorting," Sirius said. "You usually only end up with a broken leg."

"Save your breath," Lily said calmly. "I know we just have to try a wizard hat."

"But...how did you..." Sirius looked baffled. Lily held up the book she was reading so that they could see the title.

"_Hogwarts: A History_," Sirius read. "That's not fair."

Lily hid her grin behind the book.

***

The train stopped. "_You may leave the train now," _a woman's voice said. _"The luggage will be taken care of. Thank you."_

A young woman in black robes came into their compartment.

"Miss Evans? If you could follow me, please," she said and motioned to Lily. Lily followed her out and into a horseless carriage. The carriage suddenly jerked forward.

"My name is professor McGonnagal," the woman said. Lily guessed that she was about ten years older than her. She looked rather strict, with her spectacles and brown hair in a tight bun. "I'm the Transfiguration teacher and also Head of the Gryffindor house," McGonnagal continued. _Isn't she a bit young?_ Lily wondered. "You will be Sorted after the first years, but you can wait in another chamber." Lily followed her out of the carriage through a big portal, down a corridor and into a chamber. 

"Wait here until I call on you. Do you want to look at the first years' Sorting?"

"Umm, sure," Lily said.

"Wait here, then."

"Okay," Lily said as McGonnagal shut the door. Lily looked around the room. There was some interesting carpets hanging on the walls. They obviously showed Hogwarts' history. Lily went over to the carpet she guessed was the first (it had four people on it: two men and two women) and started to study it.

"Miss Evans! Time to go," McGonnagal called from the door. Lily regretted that she had said that she wanted to see the first years' Sorting because the carpets were so interesting (they fit perfectly in with what she had read in _Hogwarts: A History_), but she soon forgot it as she went into the Great Hall.

There were five long tables in the room: Four for the Houses and one for the teachers. Behind each House table there was a banner with the maskot of the House: A lion for Gryffindor, a snake for Slytherin, an eagle for Ravenclaw and a badger for Hufflepuff. The banners were in the colours of the Houses. Lily looked expectingly up at the ceiling: yep, there she could see the cloudless sky outside. _Amazing,_ she thought, and turned her attention down to the Hall itself again. All around the House tables sat students, staring impatiently at the line of first years who huddled together at one corner of the Hall. McGonnagal went into a room and came out again carrying a chair and a tattered wizard hat. Now the students looked expectedly at the hat instead. A rip in the hat opened, and it began to sing. Lily was too amazed at first of the hat singing at all, but after a few seconds she realised it sang about the different Houses. It stopped, and the Hall exploded in applause. McGonnagal had to clear her throath quite a few times before the Hall went quiet again.

"When I call your name, you go up and put the Sorting Hat on," she said. "Abrelin, Mary." A tiny girl nervously went up to the chair and put the Hat on. After about ten seconds, the Hat shouted:

"RAVENCLAW!" The table with the eagle banner cheered loudly. Then a boy went to "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Lily didn't exactly pay attention. She was starting to get nervous, and stopped herself from chewing her nails about twenty times. _One thing is certain: I'm NOT going to Slytherin. Rather not go to school than go to Slytherin. Those people look nasty._

Suddenly, the first years were done. McGonnagal cleared her throat again.

"This year, we have a transfer student. She's in the fifth year. Miss Evans, if you would try the Hat, please."

Lily went over to the chair on wobbling legs, sat down and put the Hat on.

'_Hmmm. Lot of potential here,'_ a voice in her head said. She realised it was the Hat. _'Now, where should I put you?'_ the Hat wondered. _'You have a lot of loyalty, but I don't think you would fit in Hufflepuff...No, not Slytherin. If you're so clear on that part, I won't force you. Although you would raise there...Okay, okay! You don't have to shout. Not Slytherin. Now where should I put you then? Hmmm, you are wise, that's for sure... Ravenclaw then? No, you have a brave heart too...hmm. You're a tough one. Hm? What's this? Verrrrrry interesting...you have a future in GRYFFINDOR, my little lady.'_

Lily heard the Hat shout out that last 'Gryffindor', and took it off. She went over to the table draped in scarlet and gold, and sat down on a free seat, almost oblivious to the cheering around her.

"I only have two words to say," Dumbledore, the Headmaster, said. "And they are: Tuck in!"

Food appeared on the table, and Lily felt suddenly ravenous. She grabbed some fried chicken and chips, and started to eat.

"Hungry, are you?" the person beside her said amused. Lily turned to reply, and saw the 'Maniac boy' – _Stop calling him that, his name is Sirius,_ she chided herself – grinning at her.

"Uh, yeah," was all she could think of saying. _Oh, no. If that...**kid**... is in this House, then..._ The 'Boy With Messy Hair And Glasses' waved from beside Sirius. _Oh, damn. Why did I have to be stuck with them? All right, all right, they probably are nice. It's probably just a facade._

"Don't mind them," Remus said from her other side. "That's just the way they are."

Lily screamed mentally.

A/N: So, what do you think? You know the deal: Write in the little box under here, and I write more on the story. No flames, please. Constructive criticism is welcome. If you have to criticise, you have to tell me why. Not just 'I don't like this' and 'Lily is from England'. If you had read the first A/N (see last chapter), you wouldn't need to write that. (At least the 'Lily is from England' part.)


	3. Introductions

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! I love you guys! *hugs* Anyway, I'm too lazy to write a Thank-you list, so just know that I'm eternally grateful for your reviews. (Hey, it's better than no story, right?) And there is no reason not to review this chapter too(hint hint). I'm so sorry it took so long to post this chapter, but I've got terminal exams, concerts and last weekend I were at our cottage, so I wasn't near a computer for three days! So I had to write for hand, which takes a lot longer time to do. Oh, and just a warning: I totally suck at archaic language.

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Chapter three: Introductions

Lily woke up the next morning to birds singing and the door getting shut. She stretched and looked with bleary eyes at the alarm clock on the stand. It showed 7:30. _Seven thirty? But...Oh, no! It's already breakfast! My first day at school, and I get late! Of all the bad luck..._ She jumped up from the bed, swiftly changed and brushed her hair one time, before she ran down the stairs and into the Common room, out the portrait hole, down the corridor, came to a fork, and- found herself lost. _Great. Just what I need,_ she thought sarcastically. Now where should she go? She looked down one corridor. It seemed familiar...

*

__

This doesn't work, Lily thought. _I'm never going to find my way to the Great Hall. Now, if only I met somebody..._ She went past a painting, when suddenly a thin voice shouted:

"Halt right there!" Lily turned around, and almost laughed. In the painting sat a armour clad knight astride a fat pony. "Halt, oh yeh villain, and explain yourself!"

"Um, I was looking for the Great Hall..." Lily started.

"Lies! All thou say ist lies! Stand up and fight, oh yeh foul villain!"

"But, do you know where the Great Hall is?" Lily tried again. Only getting more gibberish from the knight, she sighed and went down some stairs, the knight shouting indignantly after her. _Of course I had to run into an English knight,_ she thought as she walked down the stairs. Suddenly her foot was stuck. _What the- oh, no. Don't say it's one of those fake steps._ She tried to pull her foot loose. _Damn. It is. **Now** what do I do?_

"Well, look who's here," a voice behind her said. She turned, and saw- Sirius grinning like mad. He turned around, and shouted to someone down the corridor: "Oy! Come and look who got stuck in the stairs!" Lily heard someone running, and soon could see James and Remus at the top of the stairs as well. They both got broad grins on their faces.

"Okay, if you're finished looking like fools, could you help me get my foot out?" Lily asked.

"Look who's talking about looking like fools," Sirius grinned. Lily sighed. _Patience, patience_, she thought.

"Of course we're going to help you, Lily," James said. Lily smiled. "But," he continued, "only if you say the magic word."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes," the three boys said in unison.

__

I hate you. "Okay. Could you _please_ help me get my foot out?"

Their grins got even wider. "Wrong magic word," Sirius said.

"Oh, what's the right one?" Lily asked sarcastically. "Help me get my goddamn foot out of this fucking step, and if you don't, I'll personally send you to Hell and make sure you stay there, because you would have earned it, you bastards?"

They gaped at her. "That's the one," Sirius said, his voice slightly higher.

"Good," Lily said with a smug smile.

The boys didn't move.

"Well?" she asked.

"Oh, right." They seemed to wake up from something, and went down the stairs to help her.

"On three," Remus said. "One...two...three!" They pulled as hard as they could. Lily clutched the first thing she could find tight, as for not to move upwards with her leg.

"There," James said satisfied. He looked down at Lily. "You can let go of my leg now."

"Right," Lily said and stood up. "So, do any of you guys remember the way to the Charms classroom?"

***

Charms class had just ended. Seeing that 'the kids' (Remus, Sirius and James) had taken off as soon as the bell rang, Lily sighed. _Guess I'll get lost as I try to get to the Great Hall,_ she thought resigned.

"Hi," a girl said from behind her. Lily turned. There stood two girls from her class. They were both shorter than her (which didn't say much, since Lily was tall for a girl), both with brown hair. "My name is Gabrielle," the girl continued. She had darker hair than the other girl, and brown eyes.

"I'm Lily," Lily said.

"Yes," the other girl said. She had light brown hair and blue eyes. "I'm Laura."

"Hi."

"So," Gabrielle said, a little uncertain, "do you want to go with us to dinner?"

"Sure," Lily smiled.

***

The Great Hall was buzzing with voices as it was filled with students. Lily, Gabrielle and Laura sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"So," Gabrielle began as they started to eat, "do you know them?" She seemed rather eager.

"Who?" Lily asked, puzzled.

Gabrielle waved a fork with a bit of steak on it impatiently around. "You know," she said. "Sirius, James, Remus. 'The three Musketeers'."

"Not exactly," Lily said, a bit uncertain. _The three Musketeers?! I surely hope they didn't make up that nickname by their own._ "Um, do they know that you call them The three Musketeers?"

Laura nodded. "Of course. It was they who had the idea."

__

If bad taste sold money, they would be millionaires.

"Anyway," Gabrielle persisted. "You have talked to them before."

"Uh, yeah," Lily said. _Man. What are they all worked up for?_ "They were in my compartment on the train." She looked at Laura and Gabrielle. They were both holding their hands over their mouth, their eyes wide open. "Is something wrong...?" Lily asked, uncertain.

Laura was the first to recover. "This is great, Lily!" she almost squealed.

"It is?" Lily was very confused.

Gabrielle saw, and let out a little giggle. "Of course it's great!" she said. "They are the most popular guys at school!"

"WHAT?!" Lily stared at them in shock.

"Well," Laura said, "not Remus. But Sirius and James are- Lily? You okay? You look a little...sick."

"Sure," Lily said. "I mean, I'm okay." _How the hell could those **kids** be popular?! What's **wrong** with these people?_ "What's our next class?" she asked in an attempt at changing the subject.

"Let's see," Gabrielle said, looking down at her time table. "Oh, no. What a way to welcome you."

"What?" Lily asked.

"We have Potions with the Slytherins."

"I reckon that's bad?"

"No, no really." Laura let out a silly giggle which _really_ set Lily's teeth on edge. "Usually the points taken from us, Slytherins in the whole, and the terrible smell is flattened by whatever prank James and Sirius will come up with. Lily? Now you've got that green shade in your face again. Are you _sure_ you're not sick?"

"Yeah," Lily said absently. _Wish I **was**, though._

***

The Potions teacher, professor Serpentine, was a very nasty woman. The first thought that entered Lily's mind when the professor entered the dungeon, was: _She's trouble._ She didn't prove wrong.

The professor started the lesson by holding a roll call. "Ah, yes," she said when she came to the 'E'. "Lily Evans. Our new student." She sat her penetrating, cold stare on Lily. "I just want to make one thing clear," she said. "I don't tolerate _any_ pranksters or so-called 'funny guys'. If I catch you doing _anything outside the rules,_ you'll be sorry you ever _thought_ of doing it. Is that clear?"

"Yes," Lily said in a clear voice. _She doesn't scare me, even if she wants to._

"Good," Serpentine said, and started talking about the potion they would make that day. Lily used that time to study her teacher even as she took notes from the instructions.

Professor Serpentine had black hair, a beautifully chiseled face and fair skin. She would have been pretty if it wasn't for the way she always had her mouth in a scornful purse and the cold look in her steel-grey eyes.

__

What's up with her eyes, anyway? Lily wondered. In the half of the lesson they had had until now, she hadn't seen the professor blink even once as she walked around the students' cauldrons, snapping out a correction for the Gryffindors and praising the Slytherins. _Does she ever blink?_ Lily thought on as she yelled at Sirius for doing 'suspicious acts with your Chispurfle fangs'. _Huh. Either she doesn't blink, or she does it so fast I can't see it. Man, if she participated in a staring contest..._

It seemed like James had had enough of Potions. As Lily looked around the room at the other students, she saw him light a Filibuster Fireworks and throw it into Snape's cauldron as Serpentine had her back turned. The fireworks let out a big BANG! and sprayed potion all over the Slytherin part of the class – which of course had placed themselves as far away from the Gryffindors as possible and therefore put the Gryffindors out of danger of James' prank.

"WHO DID THAT?!" professor Serpentine bellowed.

"It was Potter!" Snape said., shooting a hateful glare at James. It was rather un-successful, since potion was dripping from his greasy hair and down on his nose. James just grinned broadly at him.

"You can go now," Serpentine said to the class. They cheerfully started to pack up their things. "Potter," she said calmly. "15 points from Gryffindor. Stay here after the others are gone. We have to talk about your detention."

James just shrugged and went over to her desk, winking at Sirius and Remus as they walked out the door. They grinned back.

"So," Lily said as she, Gabrielle and Laura went to the Common room (it was three hours 'till the next lesson), "this is the most popular guy at school?"

"Hm-hmm," Laura said with a dreamy sigh. _Arrgh,_ Lily thought.

"He's great," Gabrielle said, with an identical dreamy sigh.

Lily groaned.

A/N: So, what do you think? Huh? Huh? I'm sorry it was so short and took so long, but it's all I have for now. Oh, and since I'm really busy this summer, and won't have access to my computer (at least the one with internet) for about six weeks out of eight, it will take longer to write the next chapter. But I'll write as fast as I can.

Love ya! ^_^

aurora borealis~


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